September 2026 | Director's Report | Minerva Public Library

Director's Report: September 24, 2026

Prepared by Director Jason Bumbico for the September 24, 2026 Board of Trustees meeting

The Library will be closed to the public on Monday, October 12, for Staff Development Day. Don Boozer, Manager of the Literature Department and Coordinator of the Ohio Center for the Book at Cleveland Public Library, will give a presentation on reference interview hints and some thoughts on providing superior patron service.

The monthly Adult Craft Class, "Art From the Ordinary," on September 8 was a great success with 18 participants.
Author Patrick Ryan joined the Minerva Book Club by Zoom on September 10 for a discussion of his novel Buckeye.
OSU Extension presented "Sheet Pan Dinners" on September 14, sharing one-pan meal prep tips with 5 attendees.
Local historian John Barnett presented "Edmund Fitzgerald: The Legend Lives On" on September 17 to a crowd of 20.
Major Rick Stauffer, Investigations Division Commander of the Stark County Sheriff's Office, presented "Internet Safety and You" on September 21.
Jay Culler will present a "Medicare 101" workshop on September 28.
Looking ahead to October:
- Derek Wilson of the Ohio State Reformatory will present "Shawshank and the Ohio State Reformatory" on October 5.
- The monthly Adult Craft Class continues on October 13.
- Actor Jim Knight presents "It's Alive! An Evening with Frankenstein" on October 19.
- The Alzheimer's Association presents "Understanding Alzheimer's and Dementia" on October 29.

Weekly programming is off to a great start with Story Time, Book Beginnings, and Tiny Tots.
Our Teen Book Club has been especially successful, with teens taking part in self-directed activities in the Youth Services department after school. We often have 20 or more participants.
Fall class visits have begun and are going very well.
Youth Services will hold a Pumpkin Day event on Friday, October 23, with fun for the whole family.
We have begun renovating the former Book Sale Room into the new Youth Sensory Room. The room is closed to the public. Shelves and fixtures have been removed, the room design has been discussed, and painting and repairs have been scheduled.

On September 9, the FBI notified the Library of a credential compromise affecting the public-facing management portal for our firewall. The unauthorized access may date back to July 15.
- We changed credentials, blocked the affected access point, reported the incident to OPLIN and the Ohio Cyber Integration Center, and consulted with our IT service vendor, CompuTek Inc.
- To date, we have found no unauthorized configuration changes and no evidence of data access. We are also monitoring the firewall more closely.
MPL has received its E-Rate funding letter, and we have the go-ahead to begin installing the new network equipment through the SEO IT Pilot Project. The equipment is already on site. I have contacted the vendor and expect to have the installation scheduled shortly.

Pioneer Basement Solutions and Acculevel have submitted written quotes and proposals for the lower-level water damage. We have also met with Summit Basement Solutions and are waiting on their proposal and quote.
- The Library has also opened a coverage inquiry with its insurance carrier, Whitaker-Myers, about the damage. The carrier said that damage limited to the walls is likely excluded from the Library's policy, but damage from a sewer or drain backup would not be. They asked us to keep documenting photos, moisture readings, and contractor findings to support a possible claim.
Unfortunately, the fire alarm system is still sending numerous false trouble alerts. We are working with Johnson Controls and have had a couple of service calls to address the problem.